The National Institute of Standards and Technology created a practical cybersecurity guide to help hotel owners protect their PMS from hackers. Hotel owners can learn to protect the privacy of the data stored in their systems, which is highly vulnerable. The guide also advocates for the zero trust principle, which dictates that access to a system is never fully granted, but must be continually evaluated through authentication and authorization.

Amazon has introduced a new biometric payment device that works by having shoppers scan their palms. This is similar to the Amazon Go app where shoppers can set up a credit card and scan the app on the way into an Amazon store. Palm scanning works well in a the current climate where people do not want to touch things others have also touched. This technology could be implemented and work well in places with high foot traffic such as stadiums. Palm scanning also has some security advantages. Palms are not as easy to observe and read as faces and not as commonly used as fingerprints. The data will be stored in the cloud and consumers have the option of removing it later, which helps some feel safer with regards to security concerns.

Sabre Corporation has teamed up with BYHOURS, the leading international platform for hotel microstays, in order to provide Sabre's agency community the ability to sell rooms by the hour through BYHOURS' Sabre Red App. Travel agents using Sabre's GDS will now have access to BYHOURS' content in order to meet the new demand for microstays from buyers who want more options with regards to their stays. This agreement comes as the hospitality and hotel needs have shifted due to COVID-19 conditions that include needing to work and meet remotely and has increased interest in leisure staycations and stopover travel. Customers have the ability to select check-in time, length of stay and pay the time they use the rooms. BYHOURS is headquartered in Barcelona and has a second office in Mexico City which serves as the hub for Latin America and the U.S. The agreement with Sabre reinforces their objective to open up the North American market.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the roll out of the Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud Property Management (PMS), which will reduce the need for onsite hardware with special installation and provide operational enhancements that will be beneficial for guests, such as higher performance, security and reliability. One of the key features described is the mobile computing aspect of it, which gives operators the ability to run the hotel from anywhere, meaning team members do not need to be stationed at a desk to serve guests. The cloud-based system is designed to operate in more than 200 countries and can integrate with thousands of partners to create personalized opportunities for guests. This follows a series of shifts to other cloud-based systems which started in 2016 in an effort to demonstrate a progressive approach to digital transformation to give their hotel owners a strategic advantage over the competition.

The article describes how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of technology for many people and how it shifted the needs of people looking for short-term/hotel stays. Companies that thrived during the pandemic were the ones that offered things that began trending as people needed to stay away from others and inside for large periods of time: contact-less experiences and apartment settings rather than traditional hotel rooms. As we move forward from the pandemic and travel begins again, hoteliers will need to re-evaluate their technology and invest in guest experience software tools so their hotels can compete with the new trends in hospitality spaces.